DIY antenna for car radio

It is difficult to find a motorist who during the trip would not turn on the music or listen to the news on the radio. Car radio is not just for entertainment. She has a more important goal - the driver, especially during a long trip, must constantly receive some interesting information so as not to fall asleep while driving. In this case, the signal must be clear, so that an additional receiving device can not do. Do-it-yourself antenna for a car radio - does it have advantages? We’ll talk about this now.

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What is the antenna for?

Any person who has ever seen a radio receiver knows that without an antenna you can’t hear any radio transmission, because there will be no signal or it will be so weak and hoarse that it’s better not to receive it.

Modern antennas have other functions - they catch communication, a television signal, navigation data. In a word, there is simply no way to do without such a device.

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Car antenna - what is it?

How is the antenna from the radio different from the rest? She is a quarter-wave vibrator. Plus matching devices, of course. In fact, all this forms a signal line, and “earth” - your car, its body. All this leads to the reception of a signal.

Do-it-yourself antenna for the radio is quite possible, the design of the device is quite simple if you can hold a soldering iron. However, sometimes you can do without soldering.

Buying such a device will also not be a problem. To make or buy an antenna, you first need to understand a few things:

• appointment;
• type of modulation;
• wave range.

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What are the antennas?

There are a lot of devices for receiving signal in stores. They can be divided according to several criteria:

• by appointment;
• by type of installation;
• by type of gain;
• at the place of placement.

Appointment

What exactly are you going to take? It can be:

• radio signal
• TV signal
• universal or combined;
• satellite signal for navigation systems.

What is the difference:

• The cheapest devices are for receiving a radio signal. This is a simple amplifier that allows you to receive a good signal, wherever you are. In this case, the most important parameter is the range. The larger it is, the farther away from the nearest radio station you can receive a clear signal.
• Teleantennas are a bit more expensive because they are more complicated. If you have a portable TV in the cabin, you will have to buy a satellite dish for it. She will really help you out.

Important! If there are several devices in the cabin, it makes no sense to purchase a separate antenna for receiving navigation data. It is better to choose a universal one that catches both radio, and television, and GPS. Of course, it will cost more, but you will have to buy only one, not two, and not three.

It is very useful to know the communication parameters, that is, the oscillation frequency that a device takes:

• VHF FM radio - 70-108 MHz;
• radio in the range of civilian communications, or CB - 27 MHz;
• television - up to 900 MHz;
• GPS - 400 MHz.

type of instalation

You can attach the antenna to the car in various ways. Depending on the type of mount, it can be attributed to one of the types:

• magnetic:
• on suction cups;
• on clamps;
• on the thread;
• mortise;
• recessed.

The simplest ones are suction cups and magnetic ones; even a child can install them in a car. The most difficult option is embedded.

Important! In some car models, they are installed immediately at the factory. The advantage of this method is that no wires and pins interfere with passengers, so there is no fear that anyone could accidentally hurt her.

However, any other antenna can be installed conveniently and reliably.

Placement

Where will your antenna be located? Outside the car or in the passenger compartment? There are options. Antennas are:

• outdoor;
• internal, or salon.

Important! Since the car body is most often made of metal and is opaque to radio waves, preference should always be given to external antennas. Some modern cars have plastic cases. This is the exceptional case where the use of an internal antenna is justified.

Gain type

According to this parameter, devices are divided into two categories:

• active;
• passive.

Important! Passive only catches the signal, active also enhances it. The second option is preferable, because it makes it possible to receive radio broadcasts even in adverse conditions.

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Choose an antenna

There is a direct relationship between the size of the device and the range:

• The largest and most powerful are connected. The automobile communication antenna is placed strictly vertically, since it is this position that corresponds to the type of polarization. Its length is 3 m 50 cm, and to coordinate the differences between a quarter of the wave and size, a special extension coil is placed in the base. In fact, the antenna collapses, which allows you to put it, including on small cars. In addition, there are now dedicated bands for communication, where the communication antennas are very compact.
• Television reception in cars is usually carried out in the decimeter range, and the antennas have small geometric dimensions. To receive digital television, the receiving device is most often located on the roof of the car, and is sometimes protected by a radio-transparent plastic cowl. It is possible to use whip and discus antennas.
• To receive a radio signal in the VHF FM band, pin receiving devices are used. At a price they are cheaper than television and communication.

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Choose a connector

Having decided on the purpose, installation location and mounting method, pay attention to the connector on the antenna cable.

It should correspond to the antenna input jack on the receiver. It is advisable to verify this using a test connection. With a visible similarity, connectors from different manufacturers may have small design differences that exclude compatibility.

Important! It is desirable that the connector is fixed in one way or another - for example, by turning it at a certain angle, or by a threaded sleeve. This will protect the antenna from spontaneous disconnection during shocks and vibrations while the vehicle is in motion.

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Install the antenna

To start:

1. Temporarily place the antenna in the place where it will stand.
2. Connect the antenna connector.
3. If it is active, connect the power.
4. Then proceed according to the attached instructions.
5. When the non-removable antenna is working, you can safely fix it.

All further work comes down to laying the cable:

1. Remove the skin.
2. Route the wires towards the front pillar.
3. Fix the wire properly with adhesive tape along the entire length (sometimes fasteners are included in the product kit).
4. Lay the wire to the radio (through the gap in the instrument panel).
5. Connect the antenna cable to the radio.
6. Tape the junction with electrical tape.
7. Check if the indicator on the antenna lights up.
8. Establish a covering of the car and the other removed details

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Do-it-yourself antenna for car radio at home

The main advantage of a do-it-yourself antenna for a car radio is that the owner adapts it to the needs and capabilities of his car:

• If you already have a certain set of radio parts and tools, this option will turn out cheaper.
• If you have to buy the necessary parts - a homemade antenna can cost more than the factory one.

We are preparing materials

The main part of any antenna is a vibrator. It is a conductive wire with a length of at least a quarter of the wavelength, and even better - a half-wave.

Important! Since when the car moves, the whip antenna will experience a lot of air resistance, it is best to use a rigid elastic metal wire with a cross section of at least 2 mm as a vibrator.

To make the antenna for the car radio with your own hands, you will also need:

• insulator;
• antenna cable;
• a connector suitable for the radio;
• tools for working on metal;
• sealant;
• soldering iron;
• tweezers;
• nippers;
• solder;
• rosin;
• flux;
• hot glue;
• round magnet from the speaker.

Decide on the type of fastening and cable entry into the cabin.

Option 1

The antenna is mounted in the car body. In this case, you can use the existing technological hole, or you have to make it, which in many cases is undesirable.

Important! If there is a hole, you will need a suitable insulator. It should fit snugly into the hole and lock into it.

As insulators for the antenna for a do-it-yourself car radio, the following are used:

• radio engineering ceramics;
• fluoroplast;
• plexiglass.

Important! The best material for an insulator is radio engineering ceramics. Plexiglas is used less often because of its fragility.

The insulator is a plug that fits tightly into the hole. On the inside, it can be fixed with a nut. In any case, it must be additionally filled with sealant:

1. Take the wire selected for the vibrator.
2. On one side, thread a little longer than the height of the insulator (with a margin of 4 fixing nuts).
3. Tighten the first nut.
4. Insert the wire into the hole of the insulator.
5. Tighten the second nut.
6. Secure with a lock nut (preferably using washers).
7. Insert the insulator into the technological hole in the car body.
8. Secure it with a nut.

The antenna is ready, now let's get down.

1. Take the radio cable.
2. Strip its central core.
3. Wind several turns of the stripped core onto a vibrator inside the car.
4. Secure with a nut and lock with a lock nut.
5. The wire screen is useful to connect with the car body.

Important! In order not to make extra holes, you can slip it under the insulator nut, having previously cleaned the place on the case. Electrically conductive glue can also be used.

6. Connect the antenna connector to the second end of the cable, which will be inserted into the antenna jack of the receiver.
7. Fix the cable in the cabin in any way so that it does not interfere or spoil the view of the cabin.

Option 2

If you do not want to mess with the hole in the case, you can make the antenna for the car radio with your own hands on the principle of a police emergency light. Structurally, it is even simpler.

You need:

• wire for the vibrator;
• die for threading;
• 4 nuts;
• a sandwich container or other plastic box;
• epoxy resin;
• a magnet from the old speaker;
• a piece of thin rubber.

How to make an antenna for a car radio with your own hands:

1. Cut the threads at one end of the vibrator rod.
2. Screw the nut all the way.
3. In the middle of the bottom of the sandwich can, drill a hole for the rod.
4. Insert the rod into the hole, it is advisable to put a washer under the nut, the thread should be inside the can.
5. Secure the washer and nut with the pin on the inside.
6. As in the first case, connect the central core of the cable to the pin.
7. Secure with nuts and washers.

It is better if the cable enters the side wall of the can, for which you must first make an appropriate hole in it:

1. Fill the jar with epoxy.
2. Close the lid.
3. Allow the resin to solidify.
4. Seal the junction of the lid and the walls of the can with hot glue.
5. Glue the magnet to the bottom of the can: so that it does not scratch the body of the car, stick a thin rubber gasket on it.

In this case, the cable screen is not connected to the housing, since it has contact with it in the receiver connector. Such a device is placed on the roof of the car and is fixed with a magnet. In this case, the cable passes through the side glass of the driver's door. If necessary, the antenna can be easily removed.

Important! Such a do-it-yourself antenna for a car radio is only suitable for cars with iron bodies. In other cases, a suction cup can be adapted for fastening.

For safety, it’s useful to put on a bright plastic ball at the end of a makeshift whip antenna, fixing it with hot-melt adhesive or attaching it to the thread.

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Stock footage

Having figured out how to make an antenna for the car radio with your own hands, you probably could make a decision - do it yourself or still buy a ready-made device. Whichever option you choose, we hope you will be satisfied with the signal quality and your journeys will be pleasant.